[Mesh] Wifi gear

[Adrian Chadd]

On 4 December 2013 10:07, Jeremy Entwistle <jeremy.w.entwistle at gmail.com> wrote:
> I definitely agree we should suggest and support equipment with the highest
> throughput. However, in the intention of bringing this technology to low
> income areas, I have serious doubts that some these families will want,  or
> be able to afford, a new router. I don't think we can repurpose every
> router, but making it as easy as possible for a large portion of people to
> do it is feasible.
>
> If we're really thinking about efficiency,  then we should ditch 2.4 ghz
> because of the interference with microwaves and other devices. Also, the
> frensel zone is important for the height of our antennas. And I think
> madwifi supports broadcom, but not all chips support mesh.
>
> The traditional saying is buy a ten dollar radio and a hundred dollar
> antenna. But we haven't really focused on that philosophy because low cost
> has been a priority.

You're doubly going about it the wrong way.

You'll have access to low cost, easily hackable mesh capable hardware
right up until at least until QCA stop shipping firmware-less chips
(ie, the AP chips that we all know and love, right up until their
mobile and 11ac chips) or they ship firmware source for the 11ac
stuff.

New, current generation APs with QCA chips in them can be bought for
less than $50 each.

You don't have to try and make stuff work on older hardware. Pick a
set of suitable hardware, have that be the cost you have to fundraise
to provide hardware to low income areas. Y'all are doing a great job;
you'll be able to attract the funding needed to buy a large set of
these things for exactly this deployment.

Trying to repurpose old stuff is fun but it doesn't scale.


-a